The use of suction devices to remove fluids from a wound is known to the art. Such devices are employed to reduce or remove the body fluids which normally collect at a wound site after surgery.
Body fluids which collect at a wound, if left to remain especially in a closed wound, may cause complications in the healing process and thereby reduce the chance of a successful convalescence. Moreover, not only will a dry wound area accelerate the healing stage but will also promote cicatrization.
Known typical suction devices are both disclosed and illustrated in Canadian Pat. No. 879,849; British Pat. Nos. 1,304,324 and 1,400,139; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,138; 3,376,868; 3,742,952; 3,774,611; 3,779,243; 3,809,086; 3,809,087; and 3,875,941.
Canadian Pat. No. 879,849 discloses a device which includes a container with a concertina-pleated wall that can be expanded to increase the volume of the container. A detachable external spring bow serves to extend the pleated wall thereby causing suction within the container. The concertina-pleated walls are consecutively numbered to permit measurement of the fluid collected when the container is in an open extended position.
British Pat. No. 1,304,324 discloses a bellows operated disposable aspiration drainage device. A non-return inlet valve permits the collection of body fluids into the bellows from an inlet catheter connected to the wound to be drained. The collected body fluids are discharged through a non-return outlet valve into a receiving bag. The latter is graduated to allow measurement of removed body fluids.
British Pat. No. 1,400,139 discloses a suction drainage device which includes a resiliently compressible, airtight container having a watertight plastic bag detachably secured therein. The container upon expansion produces a negative pressure which results in the flow of body fluids into the bag within. A helical spring can be used inside the container to provide expansion of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,138 discloses an evacuator that includes a fluid tight container. After manual compression, the container is expandable to provide suction either by means of internally positioned springs between additional members placed within the container or by virtue of the container being constructed of resilient material
The evacuator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,868 includes a compressible container made from resilient elastomeric material whose memory causes the walls to return to an uncompressed state. A valve turret on the top of the container provides both an inlet and a vent opening which is sealable by means such as a plug or a resilient diaphragm connected to the top.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,952 discloses a surgical suction assembly including a suction container which is resiliently compressible and expandable. A one way plug is provided to admit fuild into the container while drawing fuild and to block flow outwardly therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,611 discloses a contamination free evacuator including a compressible-expandable container having an inlet and an outlet region, and a fluid stabilizer inside the container.
A contamination free evacuator is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,243 which includes a compressible and expandable evacuator bag having both a drain inlet and an exhaust outlet fromed in the bag. The latter further includes a magnetic one-way exhaust valve which prevents the contamination of the bag by closing upon completion of exhausting fluids from the bag.
U.S Pat. No. 3,809,086 is directed to a wound suction device including a vessel having therein an elastic sheet diaphragm which is sealed to the walls of the vessel. Movement of the diaphragm by a plate with an actuating means decreases the volume of the vessel which results in the creation of a suction force upon release of the actuating means. Provision is made to lock the actuator means in a position such that the resilient diaphragm remains displaced.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,087, a suction apparatus is disclosed having a collapsible bag attached at opposed surfaces to plate members one of which is biased to move away from the other plate member. Disclosed biasing means include springs and rubber bands.
The evacuating system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,941 includes a bellows-type container having resilient accordian-like sidewalls made of an elastomeric material. Initial suction of the container is provided by the resilient accordian-like sidewalls. Further suction results from the added weight of collected fluid within the container. Operation of this system requires that the bellows-type container be mounted in a vertical position with evacuating tubing attached to the top portion of the container.
Although each of the above-mentioned patented devices is useful in varying degrees, they all suffer from some of several disadvantages which include, e.g., the necessity of activation just prior to use, the lack of ease in operation, the need for a specific orientation during operation, complex structure, and the inability to maintain a substantially constant level of negative pressure.
All of the above patents except U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,086 provide no disclosure of a device which can be received by the handler in a preactivated or compressed state. These devices require that the handler collapse the bellows or container to activate the device before use. Difficulty in operation is presented particularly in the devices of British Pat. No. 1,304,324; Canadian Pat. No. 879,849; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,941. Moreover, British Pat. No. 1,304,324 discloses a directional multicomponent valve system which requires that the handler properly connect the device to the wound and the collecting bag. Multi-component complex valve arrangements are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,742,952 and 3,779,243. Canadian Pat. No. 879,849 not only requires that the user compress the concertina-pleated walls to drain air from the device but also requires attachment of an external spring bow thus further complicating the operation thereof. In the device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,941, difficulty arises from the requirement that the device be maintained upright for proper operation, i.e., it is orientation sensitive. Increased cost of operation or construction results from the multi-component or complex valve systems disclosed in British Pat. No. 1,304,324 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,742,952 and 3,779,243; and from the need of additional collecting bags in British Pat. Nos. 1,304,324 and 1,400,139. Complex structure is formed in the multiple spring arrangement disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,138; 3,779,243 and 3,809,087; and in the need of a fluid stabilizer as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,611. Such complex structures, as noted above, complicate construction as well as increase the cost thereof. In addition, none of the above-listed patents disclose a device which provides substantially constant suction over the range of operation.
We have invented an improved suction device which is intended to improve over the structures discussed above and to overcome the limitations found therein. The device of the present invention is designed to provide a substantially constant negative pressure throughout the range of drawing and collecting body fluids from a wound into the device. Also the device is available to the user in a preactivated state. The device thus avoids the need for the handler to discharge the air within the device as is found to be the case with almost all of the apparatus of the above discussed prior art. Additional ease of operation is provided herein in that this device permits one hand operation freeing the handler to attend to additional matters while simultaneously activating the device. The device is also designed to permit alternatively either total discard or evacuation of the collected fluids and reactivation for subsequent reuse.